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All it takes is a trip to http://www.cnn.com to see way too many stories about mine accidents, injuries and casualties.

Is it me, or should it be abundantly obvious that mine safety is a hot issue? I know that the media is now international and up-to-the-minute due to technology and I'm sure mines were unsafe back in the day. But ponder this - if technology allows us to know about all of these accidents and unsafe conditions, shouldn't technology be able to make them happen less frequently?

This is an important issue that needs to be addressed. But I think the responsibility lies on the shoulders of the mining companies - not the government, the people, or anybody else. If they need a push to get them to pay attention, that's fine. But really the companies should start owning up to the real dangers/risks of the industry and preparing for or preventing these sort of things.